Beirut port blast judge still wants to question ex-ministers

By SARAH EL DEEB
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — A judicial official says the judge leading Lebanon’s probe into last year’s massive port explosion has renewed his summonses of two former ministers for questioning. Judge Tarek Bitar’s decision Tuesday comes despite intense criticism from the country’s powerful Hezbollah group of the direction of the long-running investigation. Hezbollah’s leader has accused Bitar of politicizing the probe and called on the government to remove him. Recent criticism of Bitar was followed last week by protests by supporters of Hezbollah and its allies against the judge that descended into violence unseen in Lebanon in years. The ex-ministers were summoned to appear on Oct. 29.